My niece who is turning forty has been playing soccer nearly continuously since she was a little kid. She plays on a serious team and got a black eye recently from a member of the opposing team who hit her in the face with her engagement ring.
My brother-in-law who is fifty or so also plays soccer at a high level.
How cute that Mia Hamm discovered that adults play soccer just recently and is getting paid to write about it. #miahammaliveandkicking
This is so interesting to me, because I have been wanting to join a soccer team for middle-aged women . . . does such a thing exist? Must find this book. #miahammaliveandkicking
@cocobanal: I'd like join a team where it's not so serious. I'm out of shape and haven't played in like 8 years, but I think it would be fun as long as everyone else isn't so hardcore about it. #miahammaliveandkicking
The only reason to sex-segregate kids' teams is so boys don't feel humiliated when they lose. As adults, women are better at developing lower body strength than men, which is basically what you need for soccer. If girls weren't constantly told how weak and inferior they were, and if they were as encouraged to take athleticism and strength training seriously, if their leagues got money and news coverage and sponsorships, and colleges were recruiting them the way they do men, ten women would be routinely beating men in co-ed games.
I'm TOTALLY PEEVED at those fucking parents (of boy players) yelling that 'just a girl' shit. That is downright nasty. And no wonder we still have misogny run rampant in our culture, because of shit like this: teach your kids that "skill" and "effort" is more important 'right' or 'privileged' and then we'll talk about removing gender from the equation.
Oh my gosh! Fuck yeah! Those girls are my heroes! Aaaaaaaaaaaaand those parents (of the boys) can go fuck themselves. I'll "just a girl" them in the face with my imaginary cleat.
I too played mediocre soccer through mid high school. I mostly dance now, and I miss the contact sports. Definitely an awesome way to gain confidence and view your body as a source of strength rather than something to hate and whittle away.
You're incredibly wrong about the physicality of soccer, esp at the pro level. Also, whether boys will be better later is not the point, it's the way girls are held back from athletic achievements and how enduring sexist attitudes are.
@RonArtestTableLeg: Also, adult women have more lower body strength than men, so, if men catch up it's because of other factors than superior natural talent(more money, attention, news coverage, etc. for men's divisions)
I remember doing back to back fighting (jujitsu related) against boys and having gangs of dad cheering their sons on to beat me... really weird. All that, you can beat her, shes just a girl! stuff, but coming from adults, I found it really hurtful when I was a kid. Still I was the toughest girl on the block, and I can still throw practically anyone over my shoulder.
@bleedingmouths: That's a shame. It's so acceptable to talk about women as weak and inferior, even when the truth is right in front of people. It's a terrible thing to be teaching their sons, too.
@Clarissima: ... ... no. I can appreciate that other people like it, but I am not capable of appreciating it or being interested in it on my own. PLAYING sports is entirely out of the question.
I'm not big into soccer, but when I have kids, if I end up with girls, I hope little Lizzie's words about not liking pink and girly stuff is uttered often from them. :D
@LaComtesse: Well, we need cartoons that have girls with swords again, at least. Because there was nothing I wanted more when I was 5 than a She-Ra sword, so I could fight with the boys who pretended to be He-Man on my street.
@wednesdayam: That's a shame that you devalue "girly" stuff. Too many parents disparage femininity and encourage masculinity as superior, and that's sexism, not feminism.
@Hana Maru is on facebook Friends plz!: I was a tomboy. I didn't do things or want toys because they were "boyish", I wanted to do or have certain things because I thought they would be fun to play with. I knew for a fact that I did not find getting hair done or doing someone else's hair "fun", putting makeup on someone, unless it was facepaints, was not "fun", and playing dress up with a tea party was not "fun" - but all those were 100% adored by my little sis. Running around the woods, finding a giant tree to crawl under and pretend I was living in "The Wind In The Willows" was fun, and finding a nice stick and rock to play "baseball" with my other friends around the neighborhood was fun for me. Or a nice couple small sticks to play Merlin/Madam Mim Duels (from The Sword In The Stone) with.
I just, even to this day, don't see the point of a lot of "girly" stuff, which is why I do tend to hang out with folks that don't put much stock into such things. And I'm assuming that once I have a kid, if it happens to be a girl, this mindset of mine still won't be changing too much. So, I guess if there is a teaparty happening, it's going to be interrupted by a ninja invasion or something, because I can't do dainty for more than 10 minutes.
Sorry I'm a tomboy and don't get girly-girl stuff.
@wednesdayam: Sorry, but you didn't grow up in a cave on Mars absent all cultural messages. Girls who engage in masculine pursuits have long been regarded as better, stronger cooler, more interesting. Even as adults, it's a badge of honor to be "one of the boys" It doesn't go the other way, though. Boys and men don't want to explore girly stuff(which is SO much more than hair and tea sets) because it's uncool/gay/humiliating. You have internalized sexism, dearie. Own it. I hope you don't pass that on to your future boys or girls.
@wednesdayam: Your having been raised by women makes it impossible for you to have any internalized sexism? You think preferring tomboy behavior is in any way neutral? Are you for real?
I am now 36, and that opportunity hasn't really presented itself since.
Ok, I'm moving to NYC and we are starting a softball team complete with slides, steals, Jolly Ranchers, and cheers about wanting a single, just a little single, s-i-n-g-l-e, single single single!
This makes me so happy! I've played soccer since I was 5 and loved playing against boys and schooling them, plus we'd get away with more because the refs felt bad for us, pfft whatever! I still play in an adult rec league every Sunday and really enjoy it, its great to get out and run around and just PLAY.
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My brother-in-law who is fifty or so also plays soccer at a high level.
How cute that Mia Hamm discovered that adults play soccer just recently and is getting paid to write about it. #miahammaliveandkicking
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You're incredibly wrong about the physicality of soccer, esp at the pro level. Also, whether boys will be better later is not the point, it's the way girls are held back from athletic achievements and how enduring sexist attitudes are.
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And I knew I loved my high school/college boyfriend when we could have an argument about who was cooler, He-Man or She-Ra.
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I just, even to this day, don't see the point of a lot of "girly" stuff, which is why I do tend to hang out with folks that don't put much stock into such things. And I'm assuming that once I have a kid, if it happens to be a girl, this mindset of mine still won't be changing too much. So, I guess if there is a teaparty happening, it's going to be interrupted by a ninja invasion or something, because I can't do dainty for more than 10 minutes.
Sorry I'm a tomboy and don't get girly-girl stuff.
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Ok, I'm moving to NYC and we are starting a softball team complete with slides, steals, Jolly Ranchers, and cheers about wanting a single, just a little single, s-i-n-g-l-e, single single single!
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Wait; I thought Barca won?
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/sarcasm at asshole
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i hate feeling left out :)
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I loved playing soccer in 1st grade. I liked to be goalie and would come home with broken glasses and bruises everywhere and i had a great time.
Long story short, I haven't had the chance to kick ass in the same way since. YOU GO GIRLS.